amelie von wulffen

AMELIE VON WULFFEN
Enjoy art with your family! Use this easy, four-step process
to investigate the work of Amelie von Wulffen.
LOOK
Take a minute to look closely and silently in the gallery. Then,
together as a group, take inventory of what you see. Continue to
ask yourselves, “What more can we find?”
EXPLORE
After looking closely at the details, explore what is happening in
a particular painting. As you examine and express your ideas verbally, make sure to point out what you are seeing. When another
family member makes a connection or shares an idea, be sure to
ask them, “What do you see that makes you say that?”
Explore even further by discussing the
following questions as a group:
•What are some interesting choices made by the artist?
•Why do you think she made them?
•If you could ask the artist any question, what would it be?
CONNECT
Amelie uses a variety of painting techniques in her work such as
trompe l’oeil (realism that deceives the eye—an illusion), impasto
(a thick application of paint that makes no attempt to look smooth),
“wet on wet” (the unpredictability that occurs when wet paint is
applied to a wet surface), and crackle finish (a process that results
in an aged, weathered appearance). Can you find examples of
each technique in the gallery? Compare two different techniques.
How does each affect the mood of the work?
Amelie has also transformed the gallery space by painting
its columns and ceilings by hand. How do these additions
change our experience of and relationship to the paintings?
Amelie von Wulffen
Untitled, 2011
Ink and acrylic on canvas
79 x 55 1/4 inches
Hort Family Collection
Image courtesy the artist
Imagine the gallery without the columns. Would the gallery
feel different? Explain.
CREATE
Now it is your turn. Use the materials located at the artCART
to create your own work of art inspired by Amelie von Wulffen’s
paintings. See the reverse side of this sheet for instructions
and ideas.
Amelie von Wulffen’s Jane and Marc Nathanson Distinguished Artist in Residence residency and
exhibition are organized by the Aspen Art Museum and funded by Jane and Marc Nathanson.
Additional funding is provided by the AAM National Council and Nicola and Jeff Marcus.
The AAM’s education programs are made possible by the Questrom Education Fund. Additional
support is provided by Mary and Patrick Scanlan and the Marcia and Philip Rothblum Foundation.
In her current exhibition at the AAM, Amelie von Wulffen celebrates the art of painting by combining abstract and figurative elements on canvas and by including numerous references from art history. The artist considers herself to be the subject of each
painting, yet she chooses to exclude her image from the work. She exists there, but in disguise.
As we look more closely at Amelie von Wulffen’s work, her abstract marks and use of paint begin to transform before us. Blurred
edges of a hue, for example, spread into sharper, more recognizable forms. The following activity will help you discover these
kinds of details and more.
1) Put on your imagination cap and take a walk around
the gallery.
As you look can you find:
• a wolf
• a scooter
• a fish
• a mountain
• a reclining figure?
Do you see the artist anywhere? What else can you find
on your own?
2) At the artCART, select an image from art history
that you like. Perhaps it’s a famous painting you are
familiar with. Draw a part of the image on the white
paper provided. Using oil pastels and pencils, add
your own abstract designs by blending colors or turn
the initial marks you’ve made into a new narrative or
story. (Need an idea? Turn your paper upside down or
on its side to help you change what you’ve made into
something different.)
3) If you like, add another layer to your work of art by
drawing a picture of yourself. It can be realistic, but
remember that your portrait doesn’t need to look like
you! As the subject of your work, you can appear as an
animal, a mountain, a family member, or something
else that only you can imagine.
Discover your creativity at the AAM and have fun!
Amelie von Wulffen
Untitled, 2012
India ink, oil on canvas
79 x 55 ¼ inches
Image courtesy the artist